Anthony Weiner Thrusts His Way Into The Lead In New York City Mayor Race

Former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner has stormed into a 5-point lead
over Democratic rival and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in
the race for New York City's Democratic nomination, according to
a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist College
poll.

The poll gives Weiner a 25-20 lead over Quinn among registered
Democrats, a 10-point swing over the past month and the
first-ever lead for Weiner. Other candidates are far behind:
Former Comptroller Bill Thompson sits at 13%, Public
Advocate Bill de Blasio at 10%, and city Comptroller John Liu at
8%.

"This won't change our focus one bit," Weiner campaign
spokeswoman Barbara Morgan said. "Anthony is going to keep
talking about the issues and how to stand up for New Yorkers who
want a middle class fighter in City Hall."

Weiner has gained 6 points from a Marist poll that came one week after
he announced his candidacy last month. Quinn's support has dipped
4 percentage points.

The dramatic turn comes just more than two years after Weiner
resigned from Congress amid a sexting scandal. Since announcing his candidacy in late May,
he has paraded around New York and asked for a second chance from
its voters.

So far, it seems to be working. He leads Quinn among both male
and female Democrats, as well as among among blacks
(26% to 19%), Latinos (23% to 16%) and Asians (43% to 19%). Quinn
leads among white Democrats by a 6-point margin.

Still, the poll signals that the race remains wide open
ahead of a Sept. 10 primary. Eighteen % of Democrats are still
undecided about their choice, and 61% said they could change
their minds. A candidate needs 40% of the primary vote to avoid a
runoff, a threshold that appears unlikely at this point.